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Hi all, (Please let me know if there is a better place/forum to put this post - Thanks!) As the title suggests, I am looking for long term accommodation aboard a boat. I will consider any boats in livable conditions, though a narrowboat seems like the most likely candidate. The boat would ideally be within London zones 1 to 3 (I work as an Operations Manager and my workplace is situated by London Bridge), although I am open to suggestions so feel free to make any. I am looking for a room at the very least, though taking an entire boat would be ideal (I can put down a sizable deposit £1500 to £2000). I was a sea cadet when I was a boy so I have more knowledge about boating than your average Joe. I have advanced knowledge of engines and experience maintaining and troubleshooting/fixing them. I have experience piloting speedboats, and a few other motorized vessels. Moving the boat every 2 weeks is not an issue for me. Please see my spareroom ad for more information on me. (Don't worry about my budget on there, that's negotiable) http://spareroom.co.uk/3576569 If you know anyone who is looking to rent, you have somewhere to rent, or you have helpful advice - Please contact me. I'll try to keep an eye on this post for replies, but you can reach me via louis@diecastproductions (dot) com or 07449 816 761. Thanks in advance! Sorry for the long post...

CANAL & RIVER TRUST SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT DEMANDS OF LIVING AFLOAT The Canal & River Trust is reminding people taking up a new liveaboard lifestyle on its canals, but without a home mooring, to think carefully about the demands of living afloat through a series of awareness-raising measures. In some popular areas, this style of living is on the increase and the Trust is concerned that the newcomers may not be aware of or fully understand the requirement for bona fide navigation and may believe it is sufficient simply to move around within a small area. Some therefore get a shock when they find that they are in breach of the rules, while the Trust is forced to embark on a time-consuming and costly enforcement process. The Trust is working to raise awareness of these constraints amongst home-seekers and boat sales advertisers. It is also aiming to provide clearer information to the floating community so, from January 2014, will be contacting everyone newly registering as a continuous cruiser to ensure they fully understand the requirements. After three months, if there is concern about a boats limited movement, the charity will send a reminder and invitation to contact the local enforcement officer to discuss the cruising pattern. Ultimately if they cant meet the movement requirements they will need to get a home mooring before their licence can be renewed. Sally Ash, head of boating at the Canal & River Trust, said: We want people thinking of living afloat to be fully aware of the challenges, as well as the benefits, before taking the leap. We hope that, by spreading the message widely, people wont end up making a costly mistake. Our new step of contacting every new continuous cruiser will help them in their new lifestyle, without falling foul of the enforcement procedures needed to manage the waterways fairly for everyone. We hope that, by keeping people informed, they will use the waterways responsibly, so they can be enjoyed by everybody.

I found this on Simons Liveaboard blog. I'm not sure how representative of peoples thoughts or who its aimed at. But is somehow has a certain eerie ring to it! Divide and Rule The following standard operating procedure came to my attention recently. Find a vocal boater who has indicated some sympathy or personal interest with what you are trying to do and who has time on their hands. If that boater has axes to grind with others (especially if it's with any of the dissenting established representative organisations or individuals cheeky enough to disagree!) so much the better. If not proceed with the following steps anyway. Woo them, invite them to meetings etc, and make them out to be a great froward thinking hero. Most importantly make sure you tell the victim that you believe they are representative of a wider silent majority who agree with your agenda. Being a silent majority of course this can't be proved but don't worry about that, take our word for it... Note: It is particularly important not to let them get wind of any dissenting views at this stage. Flatter and encourage the poor sod some more. If the victim still does not have an axe to grind with others, repeat steps 3-5. Make sure they put themselves about on the forums etc and use them as stalking horse to gather more dissenters. If they are struggling with point 7, feed them the right messages under the pretence of 'helping'. Make sure they get sent things no-one else has seen to make them feel even more confident and important. Flatter and encourage the poor sod some more. Repeat any or all of steps 3 to 9 as required. Use all this this as smoke and mirrors to try to hide the fact that a whole other load of people disagree. Please note that the tactic becomes even more effective if you can find more than one boater. (Our experience to date suggests there are usually many others prepared to join in.)